Today in History (August 14^th, 1947)

The partition of India on August 14, 1947, led to the birth of Pakistan, a momentous event that reshaped the region’s political landscape and marked the end of British colonial rule.

Let’s revise

A) Which institution retained the top spot in the NIRF overall rankings for the sixth consecutive year in 2024?

1. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
2. IIT-Bombay
3. IIT-Madras
4. IIM-Ahmedabad

Answer: 3) IIT-Madras
Explanation: IIT-Madras retained the top spot in the NIRF overall rankings for the sixth consecutive year as of 2024.

B) In which category did IIT-Madras maintain the number one position for the ninth year since 2016?

1. Medical Sciences
2. Engineering
3. Management
4. Law

Answer: 2) Engineering
Explanation: IIT-Madras maintained the number one position in the engineering category for the ninth year since 2016.

C) Which institution has been ranked the top in both the universities and research categories since 2016 and 2021, respectively?

1. IIT-Bombay
2. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
3. IIM-Ahmedabad
4. AIIMS, New Delhi

Answer: 2) Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
Explanation: IISc, Bengaluru, has been ranked the top institution in the universities category since 2016 and in the research category since 2021.

D) Which management institute has been ranked the best for the fifth consecutive year since 2020?

1. Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Ahmedabad
2. Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Bangalore
3. Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Calcutta
4. Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Lucknow

Answer: 1) Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Ahmedabad
Explanation: IIM-Ahmedabad has continued to be the top management institute for the fifth consecutive year since 2020.

E) Which institution is ranked as the best for medical sciences for the seventh consecutive year?

1. AIIMS, New Delhi
2. PGIMER, Chandigarh
3. JIPMER, Puducherry
4. KGMU, Lucknow

Answer: 1) AIIMS, New Delhi
Explanation: AIIMS, New Delhi, has retained the top spot in medical sciences for the seventh consecutive year.

F) Which institution was named the best for innovation, followed by IIT-Madras and IIT-Delhi?

1. IIT-Kanpur
2. IIT-Bombay
3. IIT-Roorkee
4. IIT-Guwahati

Answer: 2) IIT-Bombay
Explanation: IIT-Bombay was named the best institution for innovation, with IIT-Madras and IIT-Delhi following.

G) Which college was recognized as the best for pharmacy in the NIRF rankings?

1. Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi
2. Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai
3. St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore
4. Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manipal

Answer: 1) Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi
Explanation: Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, was ranked the best college for pharmacy.

H) Which institution retained the first place in architecture and planning for the fourth consecutive year?

1. IIT-Kharagpur
2. IIT-Roorkee
3. IIT-Madras
4. IIT-Bombay

Answer: 2) IIT-Roorkee
Explanation: IIT-Roorkee retained its first-place position in architecture and planning for the fourth consecutive year.

I) Which institution was named the best law school for the seventh consecutive year?

1. National Law University, Delhi
2. National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
3. National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, Hyderabad
4. National Law Institute University, Bhopal

Answer: 2) National Law School of India University, Bengaluru
Explanation: The National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, was named the best law school for the seventh consecutive year.

J) Which university is recognized as the best in the skill universities category?

1. Symbiosis Skill and Professional University, Pune
2. Indian Institute of Skill Development, Mumbai
3. National Institute of Skill Development, Bangalore
4. Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi

Answer: 1) Symbiosis Skill and Professional University, Pune
Explanation: Symbiosis Skill and Professional University, Pune, was recognized as the best in the skill universities category.

Summary of Today’s News

Nankai Trough

Context
• Recently, Japan issued its first-ever ‘megaquake advisory’ of strong shaking and large tsunamis on the Nankai Trough, a subduction zone.
About the Nankai Trough
• It is an underwater subduction zone, is characterised by subduction of multiple geological units of the Philippine Sea Plate (the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, the Shikoku Basin, the Kinan Seamount Chain, and the Izu-Bonin Arc) beneath the Eurasian Plate in the southwest of Japan.
• It accumulates tectonic stress which can cause a megaquake — an earthquake with a magnitude larger than 8.
• It sits between Suruga Bay, in central Japan, and the Hyuganada Sea in Kyushu to the south.
• Nankai Trough has a history of producing such megaquakes roughly every 100 to 150 years. They often come in pairs.
• The second quake, following the first, tends to rupture within the subsequent two years. The last ‘twin’ earthquakes occurred back in 1944 and 1946.
• Japan is a country used to earthquakes. It sits on the Ring of Fire and, as a result, experiences about 1,500 earthquakes a year.

External Affairs Ministers Visit to Maldives

Context
• External Affairs Minister of India S. Jaishankar has commenced a three-day official visit to the Maldives.
Key highlights of the meeting
• Both the nations signed MoUs on capacity building and inaugurated six High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs).
• India’s Line of Credit (LoC)-assisted project of water and sewerage network in 28 islands of Maldives was jointly inaugurated during the meeting of both the nations.
• MoUs on capacity building of additional 1,000 Maldivian civil servants in India and on the introduction of UPI in Maldives were exchanged.
Significance of Maldives for India
• Trade Route: Situated along crucial maritime trade routes between the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Malacca, the Maldives acts as a “toll gate” for nearly half of India’s external trade and 80% of its energy imports.
• Strategic Location: The Maldives is strategically located in the Indian Ocean, and its stability and security are of interest to India.
• Counterbalancing China: Maldives presents an opportunity for India to counterbalance China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean, fostering regional balance of power.
• Economic partnership: India is one of the biggest investors and tourism markets for the Maldives, with significant trade and infrastructure projects underway.
• Defense and Security Cooperation: Since 1988, defense and security has been a major area of cooperation between India and Maldives.
o A comprehensive Action Plan for Defence was also signed in 2016 to consolidate defense partnership.
o Estimates suggest that almost 70 percent of Maldives’ defense training is done by India — either on the islands or in India’s elite military academies.
Significance of India for Maldives
• Essential Commodities: India supplies Maldives with its everyday essentials: rice, spices, fruits, vegetables, poultry, medicines and life-saving drugs.
• Education: Every year, Maldivian students come to Indian higher educational institutions.
• Economic dependence: Of the Rs 50 crore total trade between India and Maldives in 2022, Rs 49 crore was India’s exports to Maldives. India emerged as Maldives’ second largest trade partner in 2022.
• Disaster Relief Assistance: When a tsunami struck the islands in 2004, India was the first to send in help.
o In 2014 Male had a drinking water crisis as the major desalination plant broke down, India overnight airlifted drinking water to the islands.
o During the Covid-19 pandemic, India sent essential medicines, masks, gloves, PPE kits and vaccines for the island country.

Challenges in Relations
• Domestic turmoil in the Maldives: Recent political upheavals and changes in government have created uncertainty and complicated long-term cooperation projects.
• Chinese Influence: China’s growing economic presence in the Maldives, evidenced by investments in infrastructure projects and debt-trap diplomacy, is perceived as a challenge to India’s strategic interests in the region.
• Military ambitions: Chinese naval expansion and potential military ambitions in the Indian Ocean with the active support from Maldives has raised concerns for India.
• Trade imbalance: The significant trade imbalance between India and the Maldives could lead to resentment and calls for diversifying trade partnerships.
Conclusion
• The visit highlights the importance of the Maldives, India’s maritime neighbor, as a key partner in the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and India’s Vision SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).
• Maldives remains an important partner of India in maintaining peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.